The Ratnik is a Russian infantry combat system similar to the French Future Soldier System FELIN. It is designed to improve the connectivity and combat effectiveness of the Russian Army. Improvements include modernized body armor, helmet with special monitor (eye monitor, thermal, night vision monocular, flashlight), systems of communication and special headphones. In October 2016, The Russian Defense Ministry has announced the mass purchases of Russian-made designed future soldier gear Ratnik in 2014. In September 2015, according a statement released by Russian news agency, The Russian armed forces are to receive the latest version of the Ratnik. More than 80,000 soldiers in the Russian army are equipped with the Ratnik-2. In September, Russia has started the development of the third generation Ratnik infantry combat system. As for the third generation combat soldier equipment, it will integrate various biomechanical tools, including exoskeletons.
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| Ratnik System |
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Russian-made Future Soldier gear Ratnik, comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems, and even knee and elbow pads. The equipment can be used by regular infantry, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts. "Ratnik" weighs 20 kilograms, or 6 kilos less than its French analogue FELIN, and is fit for action in all conditions any time of the day. The ‘Ratnik’ uniform also includes food, water filters, medical supplies, a tent and a sleeping bag and weighs up to 20kg in total.
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| Uniforms |
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The camouflage pattern of the Ratnik field uniform makes the soldiers less visible to infrared cameras. The uniforms of reinforced-fiber fabric of polymeric compounds protects the soldier against open fire and minor splinters/ballistic shrapnel, while the body armor vest, reinforced by ceramic and hybrid inserts, is effective against small arms, including armor-piercing bullets preventing bullet penetration and trauma. The Ratnik uniform is fitted with special sensors that are designed to transmit information to military medics about a soldier’s physical state. Specially designed sensors will continually record heart rate, respiratory rate, blood-oxygen saturation indicators and microvascular blood filling. The system will store and analyse this data and any deviation from the norm will trigger an alarm in the medical service. The new technology draws on the already-developed Streletz (Sagittarius) system of intelligence, control and communication of medical data. All information is automatically saved on a flash drive that stores medical history. Soldiers in medical units will have access to information about the condition of the wounded and their GPS coordinates. Based on the severity of the injuries, the state of a wounded soldier will be assessed on a scale of 0 to 5. This will help prioritize evacuation of the wounded and identify the best way of reaching them. Individual equipment also includes the tactical vest 6B46 and all-puposes lightweight individual carrying equipment 6S117.
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 The camouflage pattern of the Ratnik field uniform makes the soldiers less visible to infrared cameras |
| Protection |
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"Ratnik" protects almost 90% of soldier's body. In general, weight of full "Ratnik" equipment with the special thigh and shoulder bulletproof shields is 19-20 kilograms. Basic "Ratnik" (for engineers and medics) weighs 15 kg (without thigh and shoulder guards). The armor vest 6B43 or 6B45 with ceramic armor plates capable of stopping sniper 5.56mm and AK74 rounds, including armor-piercing and high penetration, even at close range, and pieces of shells, mines, grenades and machetes. The 6B47 helmet, produced by TsNIITochMash, will be part of Ratnik combat gear. “The helmet weighs only one kilogram. Even with all of its defensive attributes, the helmet weighs less than its American counterpart, which is smaller but weighs 1.5 kilograms. The helmet is designed to withstand a shot from a pistol at a distance of 10m and has a thermal camera and video sniping equipment. Russia's "Future Soldier System" is equipped with individual friend-or-foe sensors constituting an integral part of the high-tech Ratnik combat gear. The Ratnik the soldiers’ friend-or-foe system will be enabled through attaching some kind of sensor on each soldier’s clothing. A soldier can then distinguish between enemy and friendly forces by looking at the screen of a special device similar in appearance to a mobile phone.
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 The 6B47 helmet, produced by TsNIITochMash, will be part of Ratnik combat gear. |
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 The armor vest 6B43 or 6B45 with ceramic armor plates capable of stopping sniper 5.56mm and AK74 rounds |
| Observation and sights |
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Russian engineers have unveiled a unique thermal weapon sight for the Ratnik (Warrior) combat gear of the future. The tests of prototype Russian made thermal weapon sights visualizes for the user to see enemy soldiers in pitch darkness or in smoke on the battlefield. The system sensors can discriminate between objects even when the temperatures differ by one tenth of a degree. One cannot see camouflaged soldiers standing behind foliage with conventional night sights because they are blending with the terrain, but thermal imagers detect body heat. The new thermal sight becomes part of the Ratnik future soldier system and can detect enemy forces at ranges up to 1,200 meters. The gun sight is synchronized with a special helmet mounted eyepiece display. The soldier can put the rifle behind the corner by attaching the gun’s sight to the rifle. The soldier will see everything around the corner in real time while remaining safe. Every thermal sight undergoes a number of tests including heat tests inside special compartments that simulate temperature fluctuation between minus 50 to plus 70 degrees Celsius as well as tests to see how they react to vibrations and impact. The Ratnik combat gear gun sight undergoes to up to 350 G which exceeds the recoil of an assault rifle by about 100%.
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 The new thermal sight becomes part of the Ratnik future soldier system and can detect enemy forces at ranges up to 1,200 meters. |
| Communication systems |
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The Ratnik gear communication system helps a soldier maintain a stable radio contact with all its other elements and receive continuously updated reconnaissance data about enemy positions and the overall situation in the combat zone, something that makes him an intellectual fighting machine. The "Strelets" ("Musketeer") system gives ability of voice and video communication. Also, it includes a GLONASS navigation module, so a squad leader can see location of each soldier on his small, book-sized, computer. With this computer, he also can give orders to his squad, send videos and photos to headquarters. Each soldier has his own tactical computer, but instead of the leader's computer, this one is smaller, telephone-sized.
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 A GLONASS GPS antenna is fitted on the Ratnik combat gear. |
| Weapons |
The Kalashnikov assault rifle has more chances to be brought into service in Russian army as part of combat gear Ratnik than its rivalling submachine gun model AEK-971, said deputy chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission board Oleg Bochkarev on December 2014. “State trials of the Ratnik combat gear are finalised. As for these two assault rifles AK-12 and AEK-971, Kalashnikov certainly has more chances. It is easier to handle, has fewer parts, but they are close in their features,” Bochkarev said. He added that AEK-971 was produced at Degtyarev Kovrov electromechanical plant. Ratnik team will be also armed with The 12.7 mm 6VM7-1 and the 6VM7 sniper rifles. Both have an effective range of 1,500 m and come equipped with a 1-P88-2 variable-range sight and can be fitted with a 1PN139 thermal visor.
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 The AK-12 could be the next generation of assault rifle for the Russian Ratnik Future Soldier System |
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| Specifications |
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Armament
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Ratnik combat team can include AK-12 or AEK-971assault rifle, 6VM7-1 and 6VM7 sniper rifle and Pecheneg light machine gun nd Pecheneg light machine gun
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Country users
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Russia
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Designer Company
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Russia
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Accessories
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Weapons, weapon sights, day and night sights, voice and data communications, personal communications, clothing, ballistic helmet and
armour protection.
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Protection
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NBC, uniform integrating microcell technology, flame resistant, mask with filtering respiratory assistance and water supply in contaminated environments.
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Observation sight
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Infrared Channel:
- Detection: 1,500 m
- Reconnaissance: 500 m
Day Channel:
- Detection: 3,000 m
- Identification: 800 m
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Communication
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Andromeda-D communication system.
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Weight RATNIK
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19 - 20 kg
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Range Weapons
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- AK-12 5.45mm: 600 m
- 6VM7 and 6VM7M1 12.7 mm: 1,500 m
- Pecheneg 7.62mm: 100 to 1,500 m
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Logistic
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24-hour food and water rations
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